The Lord of the Rings: Insights

The Lord of the Rings Insights:
The Virtues of The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings has many of the elements of a fairy tale or legend. The story boils down to black and white, good versus evil. The heroes are of such strong, untarnished character that both child and adult cannot help but aspire to be like them. The unparalleled virtue of these heroes is impossible to attain in reality.

The Lord of the Rings is admittedly a male-oriented story and female characters are sometimes sparse. While the women who do appear are beautiful, they are by no means damsels or feeble-minded. Tolkien's story can be enjoyed by all, whereas some newer fantasy such as Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time is clearly for older teens or adults and only those who prefer to do all their reading within the genre.

                                             Tolkien used Frodo, a hobbit, as the main character and three of his hobbit friends, Merry, Pippin and Sam, in strong supporting roles. In the first chapter the hobbits are introduced as very childlike in stature and personality even in adulthood as Frodo has just reached. Tolkien's choice of the childlike Frodo as the main character makes the story appealing to both adult and child. Adults can enjoy the awe, wonder and innocence retained by Frodo that is usually dimmed by adulthood. Children can follow Frodo's simple logic and identify with his physical stature and the lack of serious attention given to him early on by the taller characters.

     As the story moves along, Frodo gains experience and maturity without becoming permanently hardened to the ups and downs of life. He earns the respect of the other characters, who now recognize the abilities and qualities of this pseudo-child. After he recovers from his extraordinary and draining adventure, Frodo retains much of his childlike awe and joy over new sights and experiences. This is a trait which has actually begun to rub off on his fellow companions.

     Through Frodo and to a lesser degree, Sam, Tolkien shows that the awe and joy experienced as a child should not be outgrown, but retained all through adulthood. At the beginning of their journey, the sight of Rivendell provokes exclamations by Frodo. Midway through the journey Sam is awed by Lathlorien. When their adventure is all but over, Frodo is giddy at the sight of Aragorn resplendent as a king with his elven queen.

The Lord of the Rings Items Available at eBay - Scroll for additional items

Available at Amazon.com:

Peter Jackson Films:

Middle Earth Collection:
Theatrical Blu-ray
Extended Blu-ray
Collector's Blu-ray

The Hobbit Trilogy:
Theatrical: Blu-ray + DVD
Extended: Blu-ray | DVD

An Unexpected Journey:
Theatrical Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | Prime Video
Soundtrack: CD | MP3
Extended Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3

Desolation of Smaug:
Theatrical Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | Prime Video
Soundtrack: CD | MP3
Extended Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3

Battle of the Five Armies:
Theatrical Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3
Extended Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3

LotR Trilogy:
Theatrical: Blu-ray | DVD
Extended: Blu-ray | DVD
Posters

Animated Film Adaptations:

The Hobbit:
DVD | DVD (SE) | Prime Video
The Lord of the Rings:
Blu-ray | DVD | Prime Video
The Return of the King:
DVD

Books by J.R.R. Tolkien:

The Lord of the Rings Set
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Silmarillion
The Unfinished Tales
Beren and Luthien
The Children of Hurin
The Fall of Gondolin

Audio Presentations:
The Lord of the Rings:

BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Hobbit:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Fellowship of the Ring:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Two Towers:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Return of the King:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Silmarillion:
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Children of Hurin:
Unabridged Reading (CD)